Zutara Week '10
by xaSomethingWish
Summary: Finished. Zutara Week is here again! Get ready for some reflection, some movie goodness, fighting, teasing, taunting, and romance.
1. Family

So it begins!

Hope you all are ready! Because as of right now, I am not. At all. Oh well! Enjoy the Zutara goodness!

* * *

How had everything turned out this way?

Mounds of peacefully slumbering bodies huddled in the main courtyard of the Western Air Temple: The Duke, his head still curled in his helmet and his thumb sticking out of his mouth; Teo, his special wheeled chair parked parallel to his body; Haru, snoring softly in his green blankets; Toph, sprawled on her stomach with the earth for her bed; Sokka, flailing about as he fought a secret battle in his dreams; Aang, lying as still as a statue with a face just as serene and blank.

And then there was Zuko.

Zuko, the scarred and banished prince of the Fire Nation. Zuko, the heir to the throne of the battle-loving, conquering country. Zuko, the angry teen who had chased them across the globe and back again. Zuko, the fire bending teacher of the Avatar. Zuko, the big brother to the rough young earth bending girl. Zuko, the young man who made them tea and kept them warm and provided them with food and knowledge about his homeland.

When had he become a part of their family?

It must have been when Aang had said that he could stay. While everyone had protested, Katara most of all, what the Avatar wanted the Avatar got. So they had made the most of it, gradually showing him kindness, allowing him by their nightly fire, and including him in their general conversations.

As she watched him sleeping across the embers, his face free of the usual anger and stress lines, Katara thought of Ba Sing Se. Of the cave and the words they had left there. Of the dark mark she had almost removed. Of the ache in her chest when he had snapped back into his old ways like a habit he couldn't kick.

What would have happened if Aang had been a little slower? What if she had been faster? What if he had been stronger? What if...

What if they had _kissed_?

Katara sprang up, storming silently to the ledge overlooking the foggy chasm as images of that day flashed through her mind.

The glittering crystals. Her hand resting on his ridged-smooth scar. His emotionless face. The hand that had begun to rise, to rest on top of hers, holding her fingers to his cheek. How she had begun to move closer, inching towards him slowly as if pulled by a gentle but insistent current.

Angrily, she wiped the tears and images away. _It didn't happen_, she scolded herself, _so stop worrying about the what-ifs. He's here now, so learn to deal with it!_

"Aren't you cold?"

Jumping, she spun to see Zuko standing in the shadows, his arms crossed. _As usual_, she added. "No," she said out loud. "Why?"

He shrugged, pushing away from the wall. "You were shaking. Don't most people shake when they're cold?"

_Or crying_, she thought bitterly, biting her lip in anger. How was it that, once again, he had seen her at her weakest? "I'm a water bender," she said icily. "I don't get cold."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "That's why you all wear such thick coats, right?" He came to stand next to her, leaning down on his still-crossed arms as his eyes traveled over the dark expanse before them. Katara watched him, trying to decipher the thoughts that flashed so openly across his face.

"What are you thinking?" she finally demanded. His expression was too jumbled and she was too tired to figure it out on her own.

"I was trying to figure out what was on _your_ mind." He peaked up at her from the corner of his good eye. "You know, before I snuck up on you."

She gave him her dirtiest scowl. "You did not sneak up on me! You just always walk without making any noise. It's unnatural. And very annoying."

"I'll try to remember that next time I come up behind you," he chuckled. They lapsed back into an almost-easy silence. "So what were you thinking about?"

Her eyes fell to her hands. "Ba Sing Se."

She had expected this; the tensed shoulders, the tightened eyes. "Oh?" was all he said through clenched teeth.

She nodded dumbly. Why was he so mad at her? He _had_ asked. "About what we... said. In the cave." _The kiss I wanted_.

"Oh." His jaw loosened, but his shoulders were still tight as if he was ready for a verbal assault.

Any other night, Katara would have fulfilled his expectations. "I know I didn't say this back there, but I am sorry about your mother." She leaned on the rough stone next to him, their elbows not even an inch apart. "How did it happen?"

Only Zuko's eyes betrayed his surprise at the turn their conversation had taken. "I... I really don't know. She disappeared the night my grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon, died. Nobody knows where she is or if she's still alive. Not even my uncle."

"How old were you?"

He took a sharp breath. "I was ten."

Katara looked out at the empty gorge. "I was five when the black snow fell." She caught a glimpse of the prince's puzzled look. "It's how we know a Fire Nation raid is coming. The ash falls like dark flakes just before we spot the ships on the horizon. During the battle, I ran to find my mother, and there was a Fire Navy general in my house. My mother told me to find my father, telling me that everything was going to be fine. But by the time we came back, they were both gone. All that was left was her body."

He shifted closer. "You were so young." She blinked. "Can you remember her face?"

"Like it was yesterday," she rasped.

His warm arm snaked around her shoulders. She leaned into him, glad for the heat and support. "So what were you really thinking about before I surprised you?"

She tilted her head up to meet his steady golden gaze. "Do you really want to know?"

He flinched as if she had slapped him, but nodded. "Yes. I do."

Katara turned so her whole body was pressed against his as her hand rested on his scar for the second time. His eyes widened for an instant before fluttering shut. Zuko's right arm tightened around her waist. She felt his head lean into her touch, his left hand covering her right, and before she stopped to think she stood on her toes to press her lips against his.

Static jumped between them and they both pulled back, Zuko's eyes as large and bright as the sun itself. Her own personal suns. Katara's hand slid out of his and back to her side. "What if we had gotten that far under the city?" she whispered.

Zuko rushed at her, scooping her up in his strong arms and holding her tightly. "Do you have any idea how many nights I spent at the palace, sleepless, because I was wondering the same thing? How deeply I regret the damnably stupid choice I made after you showed me kindness and a way to be free of my curse?" His one hand was tangled in her hair, the other still across her lower back. Tentatively, she brought her arms up around his neck, pulling him closer still. "Katara." Her name escaped his lips as a sigh, sending a thrilling tingle up and down her spine. She wanted to hear him say it again and again and again. "I am sorry. I am so so so so-"

"Shh!" She jammed a finger over his lips. "It happened. It's over. This is where we are now."

He kissed her finger, and identical smiles spread across their faces. "I like it here." His lips traveled across the tips of the rest of her fingers, to the inside of her wrist, and down her entire arm. Once he reached her shoulder, she turned to rest her back on his chest, her head tilting away from his. As he nibbled at her neck, she ran her hand along his scar. "You were the first," he mumbled into her skin. "The first to ever touch it."

With a smirk, she twisted around and leaned up to touch her lips to the red flame. "There's another first for you," she giggled, her mouth reaching for his.

As they kissed, a thought crossed her mind: maybe Zuko would never really be a part of their little family.

Maybe he was, and always had been, so much more.


	2. Change

"One thing you can always count on is that hearts change."

-_Howl's Moving Castle_

_

* * *

_

"Hooray! A letter from Iroh!"

Katara rolled over, burying her head deep under the warm pelts she slept in. She was not a morning person. "Can't it wait until I'm awake?" she moaned, squeezing her eyes shut.

"But you are awake!" the teenage Avatar cried. "You're talking, aren't you?"

_Not anymore_, she thought. "One more hour." Full moons always kept her up late, as her blood was dancing in her veins all through the night. She relaxed her body, confident that it would obey her.

Cold sprang at her exposed skin like a sabre-tooth moose lion. "AANG!" she screeched, her fingers floundering around for her only source of warmth. "How many times have I told you-"

"Iroh sent us an invitation."

Her eyes flew open as her breathing stopped. "An invitation?" she squeaked. "To what?"

"The anniversary, of course!"

She sighed with relief. "Which anniversary?" Certainly not an engagement anniversary? Although, _they_ had been putting off the wedding for some time now...

"I don't know. Probably the two year anniversary of the end of the war. We're all invited to the Jasmine Dragon again. It says that he's added a 'large, luxurious inn' to the shop so everyone can stay."

"How soon should we leave?" She rolled over, pulling her mass of dark hair away from her face. "Does he say when he wants us all there?"

As his gray storm eyes scanned the scroll, Aang's face fell. "Oh no," he muttered, his arms going limp as the invite rolled onto the bed.

"What is it?" Katara hurriedly grabbed the parchment, searching for the date's kanji. "It says the summer solstice. That's more than a month away still. What's-"

"I promised I would be at the Northern Air Temple for the summer solstice this year." His eyes were unfocused, head turned towards the flap that covered the tent entrance. "I'm sorry."

Katara wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her cheek touching his. "It's alright. Iroh will understand."

"I was apologizing to _you_," he corrected. "I'm sorry I can't give you a ride on Appa..."

"Don't worry about it-"

"And I'm also sorry that... I just... there's something I need to say."

He faced her, his gaze calm and regretful. "Just tell me," she coaxed. "What's bothering you?"

"I think... I just... I want... I need..." He stumbled over his words, unable to finish his sentence.

She tilted her head. "That's not very straightforward."

"I think we should stop seeing each other."

Ocean eyes blinked three times as her jaw worked noiselessly. "Are you sure?"

The young Avatar nodded. "I've felt this way for a few weeks now. I mean, I still love you, but I just-"

"Don't." He watched her worriedly, but she smiled. A genuine, unforced smile. "I understand. I've been feeling the same lately." _Much longer than 'lately.'_ "This is as good a time as any to come out with it."

He gave her the same grin that had kept her going for those unbelievable months they had spent traveling the world on the back of a flying bison. "That was was easier than I thought it was going to be," he said. Speading his arms, they shared a brief hug before he bounced up. "I'll go let Sokka know! You'll probably leave tomorrow," he added, disappearing through the thick flap.

As his presence faded, so did her smile. A reunion, huh? Leave it to Iroh to find a reason to get them all together.

_But will it be everyone?_

"Of course," she whispered. Of course it would be everyone. It wasn't like _he_ could ignore the old man. An invitation from him was seen as a summons, and only the Avatar would really be forgiven for missing out.

Rolling out of the plush furs, she began yanking on her oldest work clothes. It was time to start packing.

* * *

"Ba Sing Se, huh?"

Mai loomed over the Fire Lord's desk, reading the letter from his uncle upside-down. "What does the old coot want now?"

Because he knew it was actually a term of endearment for her, Lord Zuko let the insult slide. "He's inviting us to a reunion party at his tea shop," he explained, turning the parchment because he knew she would still read it for herself. She was still suspicious of him, he knew. If only she knew how un-secret her activities had become in the past year.

"Why did he add me to the list?" she rasped. Her tone still tended to rub him the wrong way, but he was learning to look past that to see what she really meant. "I didn't help take down your family."

"You were at the tea shop before we all split, weren't you?" He smiled. "_And_ you did help take down my family. Remember? At the Boiling Rock?"

She rolled her eyes. "Sometimes, I still can't believe that I did that." A hacking cough overcame her suddenly, and she doubled over while clutching her chest.

"Are you feeling well?" Zuko demanded, rising from his chair, reflexively reaching across his large desk.

"What the hell do you expect to do from there?" Mai demanded, wheezing. Another racking cough overcame her as the Fire Lord reached her side. "I'm fine, I'm fine!" she protested, shoving him away with one hand. "I just need some water!" He poured her a cup while she settled into one of his comfortable chairs. He took the one across from her as she sipped slowly. Relaxing into the cushions, he let him mind wander as he gazed out the open window. Summer was in full bloom, and the soothing songs of the birds drifted in from the garden.

"I don't think we should get married."

"Mhmm," he replied automatically. His fiance waited a few moments more as the realization of what she had said hit him. His head turned slowly, his eyes wide and questioning. "Why?"

She rolled her eyes again. "Come on, Zuko," she said, exasperated. "We both know this will never work. I think we haven't been in love since before you were banished. Actually, I don't even think we were in love then. It was just a childhood crush." She took another small sip, swirling the water in the goblet. "Hearts change, you know," she continued. "I'm just sorry that it took mine so long to realize it."

She rose gracefully, her slim form almost gliding to the large doors that shut him off from the rest of the world. "So I take it you will not be coming to the Earth Kingdom with me?" he said as she yanked the door open.

Mai turned one last time, her eyes blank. "No. I will not be going to the Earth Kingdom." Their locked gazed held for another moment, and then she was gone, leaving only an open door and a cup of water behind.

Heaving a sigh, Zuko rose from his seat to stand in front of the window. As he gazed at the family of turtle ducks swimming in the pond outside, he thought back on the days when he had lived in Ba Sing Se with his uncle. When he had been free of his duty and honor and responsibility as a member of the Fire Nation's royal house.

"Che!" he called, still watching the scene outside. As the feet pattered into his room, he leaned heavily on the wooden sill. "I need to get to the Earth capital. Arrange transportation and have a light wardrobe packed as soon as possible. I wish to leave tomorrow."

* * *

In the end, only four of the original eight were in attendance. Sokka was busy with training to become the next chief of the Southern Water Tribe on the night of the winter solstice, Suki was expecting in another two months and was not able to travel, Mai had vanished, and Aang was on his way north.

Soon after returning home, Toph Be Fong had run away to the safety of Iroh's beloved tea shop. After enjoying her freedom for so long, the strong-willed earth bender was unable to cope with her father's stifling, overprotective ways any longer. He had promised that he would allow her to stay with the old general so long as she wrote to him every week. She usually dictated a sentence once every two months.

Zuko arrived ahead of his convoy, having managed to slip away some two hundred miles outside of the city's great wall. Iroh scolded him profusely when he arrived, reminding him that it was not safe for the new leader of a once-conquering nation to be traveling without protection and that he had nearly killed his poor ostrich-horse and that what he really needed was a hug and some warm jasmine tea and to seat here and leave his dirty clothes outside because he would not have his spotless floors ruined by his unwashed nephew.

Katara had somehow managed to find and seduce the young Major Haru into providing her with an escort into the city from the coastal town her ship had been storm-blown into. She had arrived, blue eyes sparkling, silky hair gleaming, and ruby lips curved, with the poor earth bender following her like a love-sick child. It had taken days to finally convince Haru that she was not, in fact, madly in love with him, and he would have persisted if not for a few well-aimed flames from the Lord of the Fire Nation and a harrowing display of the master water bender's blood-bending abilities. Since then, she and Zuko had begun to bicker daily, every little thing causing a day-long battle of strength and wits.

Iroh watched all of this, armed with smiling eyes and soothing tea. "It is good to see them together again," he remarked quietly as he and his young friend listened to the latest argument between the two teens. The topic they had chosen today was whether water bending was more powerful with the moon, or fire bending with the sun. It had begun early that morning, when they had seen the moon and the sun sharing the same sky, and was reaching the boiling point as they sat around the dining table enjoying some after-dinner tea.

"They're giving me a massive headache," Toph complained, sipping her tea with a slurp. "I wish they would start fighting by giving each other the silent treatment." She glanced pointedly in their direction, which was right next to her, but they were too involved in besting each other to notice anything being said or done around them.

Iroh chuckled. "If they stopped talking, I would be worried," the older man replied. "This is what they both need."

Toph huffed, one stand of her bangs flipping away from her cheek. "Well, I'll tell you what they don't need. Us."

"Good point," he whispered, rising silently with the earth bender hot on his heels. He slid the screen shut between the formal dining room they had been using and the kitchen Toph was now rummaging through. Not one to be left out of the loop, Iroh's ear hovered over the thin rice-paper screen, straining to make out their now-softer conversation.

"You know, it's not very polite to eaves drop." Toph was munching on a large piece of char-broiled meat. "I thought we left so they could be alone."

"Are you kidding? We left so that we could hear what they really want to say to each other." He shook his head. "Do you really think I would leave him alone with that crazy water bender and be content not knowing what was happening?"

The girl shrugged, coming to sit across from him. "I see your point." She held her ear up to the screen as well, her more sensitive ear catching every word.

"What happened to your ring?" Katara asked.

"What? Oh," said Zuko. Toph heard, and felt, him shift uncomfortably. "My engagement ring. Well, I... I took it off."

"Why would you do that?" _Could Sugar Queen be any slower!_ she thought, mouthing her comment to Iroh a moment later. He held up a hand to shush her, leaning in even closer.

"Because... because we called it off before I came here."

A sharp intake of breath from the water bender. "Oh, Zuko. I am so sorry."

"Don't worry about it." He was lying; Toph could almost taste it. "It happens. People change. Hearts change. I know that better than most," he added, his tone bitter and coated in sarcasm.

"Yes," Katara mumbled. "Hearts can change." Toph could tell that she was thinking, and thinking hard. "You know, Aang and I broke up a little while ago," she suddenly said. The blind girl had not seen that sentence coming. At least, not yet.

"I'm sorry to hear that." _Liar_, Toph thought. "What happened?"

"We both decided that it was time to move on. Our hearts had changed, and we both need somebody else in our lives."

"Oh," was all that he said. Silence fell for a few tense moments. Toph and Iroh waited for one of them to begin their chat again. "Katara, would you like to come back to the palace with me when I leave? It's stunning at this time of year, and Fire Lord business is a little slower than usual."

This was it! This was exactly what the two masterminds had wanted. "That sounds lovely," Katara replied. Toph could only imagine the suggestive looks she was giving the poor, defenseless ruler. "Do you remember the last time we were here? After your coronation?"

"Of course I do. I served you all tea." Toph smiled. It had felt good, making the ruler of the most powerful nation bring drinks for their small party. And he hadn't minded in the slightest.

"Well, you see, there was something I meant to do before we all separated, but I never got around to it." Toph wanted to gag herself, listening to the sultry tone of the water tribe teen.

"Oh?" His voice was quivering with excitement and fear. "And what was that?"

In the following silence, the movements that Toph felt through the floor turned her face as red as a sunburn. Iroh grinned, watching her innocence. "What do you say to that?" he crowed quietly, unable to wipe the smug grin from his face.

"I say that the bet was less than a week against four days. As this is the fourth day, I have won the wager."

"Ah, yes, but as I said less then a week, and it has not been more than seven days, I believe that I have actually won."

"I had it on the exact day. Pay up."

With a sigh, Iroh pulled ten gold pieces from his robe. "I don't like that new paper money the Earth Nation is using, so all I have is change."

Toph grinned as her prize was dropped into her outstretched palm. As she jingled the coins in her hands, she thought of the young couple locked in a passionate kiss. She decided that she could really get used to change.

* * *

**A/N: Hooray for Day 2! Hope you liked it!**

**So, for some reason, I originally thought that Harmony was day 2... I have no idea why... but now I have more time to make the day 5 submission incredible!**

**This is kinda creepy, but I was flipping through the channels when I got home, and Howl's Moving Castle was on. I was always planning on using that quote at the beginning of this prompt, and the fact that the movie it was from was on today is just waaayyy too weird for me.**

**Oh, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith was on yesterday. I swear, the universe it helping us celebrate.**

**Stay tuned for day 3!**

**EDIT: Fixed some spelling and grammar and other stuff.**


	3. Pain

It was the eyes. That glimmering blue, so unusual and exotic. That was how he remembered her; nothing else was familiar. She was clothed in a blue robe, her long brown hair falling to her waist. And sitting behind her was his ticket home.

"Who are you?" he demanded. If her face was going to haunt him, he would at least attach a name to it.

"My name is Katara. And I'm the only Waterbender left in the Southern Water Tribe. " she replied. Her voice seemed to quiver, but her stance was strong. She was not going to let him by without a fight.

A stream of fire erupted from the burning grass, arcing towards her head, only to be stopped by a thick shield of water. _So she wasn't lying_, he thought as he curved the second attack around her defense, hitting her from behind and sending her flying into the trunk of the tree that grew in this mysterious cave. _You need to keep your guard up_, he wanted to tell her. There was much she could learn from fighting him. _Always protect your back as well as your front_. Catching his breath, he waited for her to spring up and send a wave of water at him. Instead, she stayed slumped against the rough bark, her eyes closed. A jolt ran through his chest.

_What have I done?_

He walked to her side, looming over her still form as he studied the calm, unmarked face. She was slim and young, not much older than his sister now. She had a certain quality about her mouth that made him think that while she could be all-smiles one moment, she could just as quickly kill you with one look. The rich blue of her thick tunic was embroidered with patterns that danced and swirled like the water she could control.

She should not be alive, he realized. All of the Southern benders were supposed to be dead. So how had she survived? How had she escaped the fool-proof grip of his nation? Where had this gentle girl been hiding? He could nearly feel it, how agonizing it must be to be the last. A stale memory of a by-gone era. Standing out where you should have blended into the background.

Deciding that she shouldn't stay curled like a lump on the ground, he gently propped her upright against the tree. Brushing a lock of hair away from her face, he felt a jab in his heart. She seemed so... so good. So pure and innocent. So... everything he, the banished prince, was not. His fingers skimmed over the bump on the side of her head, and he winced like she had sent a knife through his back. He didn't _want_ to hurt her. But the Avatar was what he needed, and Zuko did not lose.

_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I wish I could tell you just how sorry I am_, he thought. Out loud, he whispered, "I have to take him," ignoring the pain it caused him to rise and walk away. Maybe one day he could talk to her. Explain why he was doing this. Talk about her life in that desolate village. Tell her in his own words the story of his scar.

But first, he had to regain his honor and his throne.

Then, he would be ready.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, this is probably one of the shortest submissions I have ever written for ZW. And yes, it didn't really match up to the theme of 'Pain,' but right now I am too tired to care. So ha.**

**I case you didn't know, this was the fight scene in the movie from Zuko's POV. Not a very good movie (in my opinion) but at least they gave us this one little light of hope.**

**Don't worry, tomorrow's will be longer and not so serious!**

**EDIT: Fixed a wrong line, plus some other little things.**


	4. Date

It was a most auspicious date.

They had spent two weeks with the fortune teller, trying to find the best combination of their birthdays. "This is quite the combination," she had mumbled as she studies the charts and calenders. "A good match, but with the disturbance in the world, a hard match to find a lucky day for."

Katara's stomach felt like an ocean beset by a storm, churning and crashing and unable to settle, keeping her nerves buzzing with energy. The red silk cloth she wore over her face made it impossible to see. As the litter rocked down the cobblestone street, she wondered who all was standing along the roadside, watching their elaborate procession. She tried to peak out the sides of the veil, but only saw more red. The drapes of the little were closed. Frowning, she toyed with the hem of her new dress. _I will only ever wear it this once_, she thought. _And not for very long at that_. Am image of the night to come flashed through her mind, causing the heat to rise in her face. She hoped she would not have to wait too long for it.

They halted with a jolt, bucking the distracted young woman forward on the small, soft pillows. _Thanks for the warning, guys_, she seethed inwardly as she was lowered. She righted herself just as the curtains were yanked aside. A hand found hers and guided her out of her perch carefully.

She knew this hand. She knew the rough, calloused palm. The long, nimble fingers. The familiar warmth that spread through her whole body from this simple touch. As he lifted away the veil, Zuko's face flooded her vision. He was clothed in red and cold, as usual, but he seemed to be... cleaner, she thought. Cleaner and anxious and happy. His sun-gold eyes radiated joy and anticipation. She felt him squeezing her fingers gently, as if asking her, _Are you ready_? She gave him a tighter squeeze in response. _Of course_.

As one, they bowed to the ancestors of the royal family, then poured tea over several white lotus seeds. Zuko had no immediate family that was able to attend, so Iroh accepted the tea in their stead. They all shared a grin as he sipped the tea; it had been his idea to use the lotus. He then held out a cup of wine, handing it first to Zuko, and then to Katara, before the couple bowed to each other.

The courtyard of the Fire Nation Palace erupted in cheering and shouting and congratulations. The newlyweds turned to accept the cheers of their people, their fingers intertwined.

The rest of the day passed by in one long blur to Katara. The feast seemed to never end, but when it did, she found she could barely remember it. She now sat on the red silk coverlet of her- _their_ new bed. Next to her was the Fire Lord, and standing in the doorway were older couples, including her brother and sister-in-law. "Be careful!" Sokka advised, leaning against the door frame and grinning like a crescent moon. Suki prodded him in the chest before giving Katara a warm smile. "We'll leave you alone," she whispered as she gave the new wife a quick hug. As soon as the Kyoshi warrior was done ushering everyone out, the water bender fell back on the bed with a sigh of relief.

"Is that any way to behave with your new husband?"

Zuko, the ruler of the Fire Nation, loomed over her, a stern expression on his face. She knew him too well to fall for that.

"Whether you like it or not, you are stuck with me forever," she retorted. "So yes, I will act as I please, because there is nothing you can do to get rid of me."

His face switched from serious to sultry. "Are you sure about that?" His hands locked around her wrists, holding them captive over her head as he settled his hips over her stomach. "I could always kill you." His breath was warm and tickling on her neck.

She rolled her eyes as she felt a fluttering feeling in her lower abdomen. "I'd like to see you try," she challenged.

He liked the sound of that. "It's not like I could do it right now, though," he explained as he raised himself up slightly. "I mean, this is just too much precious material to be soiled by your blood. It would be completely ruined." His hands, which had been tracing a fine line down her tightening stomach, suddenly reached for her hair. "And then there's this crown. It's made of pure gold, you know, and covered in only the finest jewels. A family heirloom. I'd hate to see it dented if you struggle." Deftly, he uncoiled her hair from the large glittering contraption that had been attached to her head early that morning and placed it on the bedside table.

"Finally," she groaned. "That thing's been weighing me down for too long." With a grin, she pushed up, rolling them so she was on top this time. "If you really are going to kill me, then I think we need to do something about this shirt." She shackled his hands to the headboard with ice as she began undoing the sash tied around his middle. "It would be a shame to have this be ripped if I struggle." Her husband had melted her restraints, and held his arms up as she slid the sleeves down his arms. The bare chest beneath her was perfectly, chiseled and hard and marred only by the large oval scar across his stomach.

Her wound. The wound she had given him. The wound that had saved her life.

She bent her head, planting kiss after kiss on the rippled skin. She could feel him arching under her soft touches, and smiled. "I wonder how many more scars I can give you," she teased as his arms wrapped around her.

"We have a lifetime to find out." He rolled them over again, this time laying next to her while being propped up on one arm.

While he worked to remove her gown, she thought about what he had said. She imagined their first holiday together, their first anniversary, their first vacation, their first child. All the days that they would now spend to together.

She liked that idea, that they would be able to share everything now. As the Fire Lord's lips wrecked havoc on her body, she had one final clear thought:

This day was only the beginning, and it was a day that she would never forget.

* * *

I had another idea in mind, but I thought that everyone would be doing a "date" for these two, so I tried something different. I hope you liked it!


	5. Harmony

**A/N:**

**I'm so sorry this is late! I was at Warped Tour all day yesterday, and ended up falling asleep before I could finish this! Hopefully Alternative Universe will be up later tonight! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Toph, this is SO not fair!"

"You cannot keep us in here! I order you to let us out!"

The sightless earth bender yawns, waving a fly away from her face as she lounges on the ground. The shouts are coming from behind a newly-added wall in the Western Air Temple.

"Where's Aang?" the girl demanded. "If Aang knew what you were doing-"

"Aang's busy communing with nature! He won't be back in time to get your sorry asses out. Besides, I'm still the better earth bender."

"Is this your payback for what I did?" asks the boy. "Because if it is-"

"Oh, shut up! Both of you!" The jailor ensures their silence with a mighty pound of her fist that echoes through the ground of the entire temple. "You're in there because we're all sick of you two constantly fighting! So either you both come out best friends, or only one comes out alive."

"Where's Sokka!" Katara shouts.

"I can't hear you!" The faint cry comes from the end of the long hallway Toph coaxed them down. "I have no knowledge of what Toph is now doing!"

"Figures," she mutters. "HARU!"

Footsteps echoed off the walls. "HARU IF YOU SO MUCH AS WIGGLE A PEBBLE I WILL BURY YOU SO DEEPLY INTO THE EARTH THAT YOU WILL FALL OUT THE OTHER SIDE!"

"So much for _that_ idea," Zuko grumbles. "I guess the kid can't be your bitch when _she_ has you caged."

He receives a water slap across the face for that one. "He is _not_ my bitch," the water bender snaps. "He just listens to me."

"Huh."

She heaves a sigh. "Come on, Toph," she shouts at the wall. "This isn't funny anymore. You had your laugh, ha ha ha! Now let us out."

"Let me think about it no." She grins as she hears the feral scream from behind her prison wall. "Well, I'm hungry. Have fun!"

"Toph Be Fong you get back here right now! This is not acceptable! What would your mother say if she was here!" Katara's screeching orders reverberate around the small prison, and Zuko covers his ears. "What would your father say! What would Aang say! Don't pretend that you can't hear me! Get back here RIGHT NOW!"

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP!" The boy's cry makes her jump. "You are yelling at Toph! Do you really think that just because your voice is louder that you can get through that thick skull of hers? I've only been here a week and even I know she's too stubborn and hard-headed for that to work!"

"Why did you come in the first place?" she retorts. "It's not like anyone wanted you to be here."

"Well, there were less people who wanted me alive back at the palace, so I figured I might have better luck here."

"And how's that working out for you?"

"Considering only one of you wants me dead, it's been simply amazing."

"Who wants you dead?"

"One guess."

"In the palace, dumbass."

"My father, for one. And my sister. And the court nobles. And I'm pretty sure most of the senior guards. And more than half of the citizens."

"That's quite a list of enemies. What'd you do, burn down a temple?"

"No. I refused to fight the Fire Lord."

The darkness makes the pause seem like hours, not seconds. "Seriously?"

"Yes."

"That's all you did?"

"Yup."

"How old were you?"

"Twelve."

"You would've _died_ if you'd fought him!"

"I know. But that wasn't why I didn't fight. And as a reminder, he gave me this nifty souvenir."

Flames burst forth in the ink black cell. Katara shields her eyes, allowing them to grow used to the light. "Why didn't you do that sooner?" As her eyes adjust, she is drawn to the scar, as bright red as glowing embers, that stretches across the prince's face. "That was from the Fire Lord?" A nod. "Your father?" Another nod. "You have one messed up family."

A grin. "Tell me about it."

A slight smile. "Okay, Toph!" she yells. "See? We can play nice! Now can we come out?"

"NO!"

Katara's eyes narrow. "What is her problem?"

"Apparently, us." He stretches, and she can hear the popping of his joints. "Let's see just how big this place is." He gulps in a lungful of air before a stream of fire erupts from his mouth. The flames illuminate the rough, dark stone cube they are locked in. Katara spots several thin streams of water tracing down the walls like tear tracks. Some thirty feet above their heads, thick roots tangle through the stone and leave vines dangling like stringy, dirty hair. "So, we have water and tinder," the prince says at the last of the flames disappears. All that is left is the small orb he holds in his hand. "That's a start."

"I bet I can use the water to carve away the rock," Katara muses.

Zuko looks at her. "I could heat it. Melt it away."

She fixes him with her darkest look. "As if I need a _fire bender's_ help," she snarls. "You've caused enough damage for one day, thank you very much."

His scowl reminds her of the days when he always wore armor and a pony tail. "Was that supposed to be a joke? Because it was not funny." She sticks her tongue out at him before turning away. "ARRGGHHH! What is your problem!" he explodes. The light in the room grows with his rage.

"_My_ problem?" she spins, her eyes flashing in the fire light. "My problem! Take a good look around and then ask me what my problem is!"

He turns around once, his arms spread wide. "What is your problem?"

"My problem is YOU!" She lunges at him, pulling with her the water from the walls and her pouch. He surrounds himself in fire; he's used to her attacks from both ends. After all, he had been the first one to attack her that way.

"How am I your problem?" he demands, throwing several fire balls in her direction. "I'm helping the Avatar! I'm nice to the brat that trapped us in here! I'm not trying to kill you!"

"Then what do you call this?" She points to a flame that whizzes past her head, so close that she flinches from the heat.

"You started it!" He cracks two fiery whips at her head.

"I did not!" She extinguishes the flames, and freezes his feet to the floor.

"Yes you did!" He unfreezes his feet to kick more fire at her.

"Did not!" She swallows the fire in her water and sends hundreds of icy daggers at his body.

"Did too!" An arc of flames destroys the deadly projectiles.

"What are we, eight?" Eight water whips pin the fire bender to the ground.

"You tell me, since everything I say or do is wrong!" Two fire streams flatten the water bender against the wet ground.

"Who said that?" Ice climbs up his body.

"You did!" Fire encircles her sprawled form.

"I never said that! When did I say that?" She is standing, the ring of flames dying out, launching dagger after dagger, stepping closer and closer.

"You don't have to! It shows every time you criticize me or yell at me or threaten to end me instead of giving me a friendly greeting!" He has two flaming knives in his hands, blocking her missiles as he approaches.

"Fine, let's start all over again." A tugging at her gut, and she can feel his very pulse, the quick rhythm of his whole body. He cannot move now, not unless she allows it. He is struggling, fighting her, but he will not win this time. He drove her to this. He must suffer the consequences. Her splayed fingers pass in front of her face before pushing down. The Fire Prince crumples to the floor. She saunters up to his immobile body, a predator grin across her face. "Hello, Prince Zuko! Welcome to our small group of kids trying to save the entire world! Even though you used to want to capture us, most of all the Avatar, who is the last hope for this world, by the way, I forgive you! I forgive you for terrorizing my village and taking my necklace and tying me to a tree and burning down Kyoshi Island and taking Aang away from the Spirit Oasis and for hunting us all over this war-torn planet and making my life so fucking miserable! Oh, but most of all, I forgive you for lying to me and leading me on under Ba Sing Se by saying that you changed, for giving me a reason to trust you, and then letting it all go up in smoke the second Azula arrived! I forgive you for all of the shit you have started and for the life you ruined for me!"

"Oh really?" He pushes up with his right side, throwing her off balance. Her arms can't take his weight, his strength, and she collapses as he rolls over her. "_I_ ruined _your_ life. Me. The prince who walked into your village _nine months ago_. I destroyed your life by hunting the Avatar? The boy you _chose_ to protect." His hands tightened around the wrists held over her head. "I ruined the life you had in that small, sheltered, frozen village. You traveled the world with my prey, you saw worlds and wonders you hadn't even dreamed of, and I ruined the life you could have had in that tiny collection of animal-skin huts."

"It was my home!" she cries, tears in the corners of her eyes.

"At least you had a home!" he shouts. "While you were cuddled up in those tents you call houses, surrounded by people who love you, I was scouring the earth for my ticket home!"

"And who's fault was that?" she asks sweetly, her tone dripping in sarcasm.

"AAAAAHHHH!" His fist slams into the floor next to her face. "Why are you so... so..."

"So right?"

"So infuriating!" He pushes up and storms away, his hands holding the sides of his head. "How is it that you always do this to me? That you push me to the very tip of the edge and just when I think I've taken a few steps away, you say one more thing, do something unexpected, give me one more look that crumbles the ledge and drops me down the cliff."

She can only look at him, her jaw on her chest. "What... I... huh?"

The prince cries out again. "See, that's exactly what I'm talking about! Whenever you're around, nothing I do make sense! Instead of lashing out, I stay calm! I stop to think, where I would act on impulse! I'm not myself when you're around!"

"I lash out and attack you where I would be gentle and kind. I act irrationally where I would stop to form a plan or talk it out with my friends. Even when we're practice sparring, I don't hold back when I know it's you I'm fighting."

Zuko stands, breathing heavily from his passionate tirade, his wide golden eyes watching her. Katara sits on the cold ground, her arms hugging her knees to her chest. "So what does it mean?" she whispers into her legs. "What does it say about us? That we're sworn enemies?"

The prince comes to kneel in front of her, his hands reaching for hers, but pulling back at the last moment. "I don't think so," he murmurs. She peeks up at him through her loose hairs. "Maybe it means... that we're able to bring out the worst in each other. That we're able to push each other to be better, as fighters and people."

She places her hand on his scar, smiling sadly. "I was so happy when you let me do this the first time. I knew it was a big step for you, that it was the first step towards you being good."

His hand rises to cover hers. "Your kindness was what helped me leave. Your endearing kindness. You unwavering hope."

"I always admired your passion, your ferocity. It's what makes you you."

"Our fights were my favorite," he grins. "It made me feel more... alive. I lost myself when I was fighting you."

"I fought at my best against you. No other opponent has been able to do that to me."

A sly look crosses his face. "You know, if we fought so well together when we were on opposite sides..."

"...we could be flawless together," she finishes, a broad smile engulfing her face. "Oh Toph!" she sings, knowing her voice will carry to the blind earth girl. "We don't hate each other anymore!"

The ground rumbles just outside their prison. "It's about time!" she exclaims, bringing down the wall.

The tunnel is thankfully cloaked in darkness. "Now!" the prince cries, leaping on their jailor. She squeals as he pins her to the ground. Rolling her onto her back, he lays her on his chest, using his arms and legs to keep her from touching the ground. "We don't appreciate people forcing us to do anything," he growls with a grin.

"Not at all." Katara leans over the helpless girl. "Do you know what we do those people?" She steals a glance at Toph's captor. He seems to understand her glance, for his grip on her limbs tightens. The water bender is kneeling on the ground now, her hands snaking ever-closer to the young girl's sides.

"No, no! Don't you dare! What are you doing!" She begins to struggle, flopping around in Zuko's grasp like a fish on land.

"We..." Katara brings her mouth right next to Toph's ear. "...tickle them."

"NO!" the girl squeals as Katara's finger wriggle along her sides. "No, please, stop! Stop!" Toph thrashes from side to side, an uncontrollable smile on her face. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"

"You bet you won't," Zuko chuckles as Katara's fingers migrate to the area under Toph's arms.

From around the corner at the end of the long, empty hallway, Teo, the Duke, and Haru are watching the three squirm around on the floor.

"Well, at least they're working together now," says Teo. "In perfect harmony, too."

The Duke nods, his helmet bouncing on his head, before placing a hand on Haru's arm.

Teo notices. "Oh, yeah. Sorry about that, Haru," he says kindly, reaching up to pat the older boy's shoulder. "I guess she isn't still your girlfriend after all."

He wheeled away with the Duke, leaving the sad teenager to watch the two former adversaries tag-team a helpless kid from his own nation. What was the world coming to?


	6. Alternative Universe

He couldn't believe he was actually going through with it.

As he looked down at the paper he had printed out, he nearly tripped over the group of very young school girls all tied together and on their way to the museum across the street. Glancing around to make sure nobody had seen, he caught sight of a sign; The Chill. _This is it_, he told himself, straightening his back and marching through the door.

Walking through the ringing door, a wave of cold air and smooth rock hit him like a wave. Adjusting to the dim light, he took in the dark armchairs filled with young college students clicking away on sleek laptops, the Starbucks-style coffee bar, the modern wood seating areas scattered around the center, and the white French outdoor café style tables and chairs lined up along the full-length windows that gave an unblemished view of the busy New York City street.

There she was, sitting at a café table, dressed in a dark blue dress like she'd promised. Her chocolate-brown hair flowed loose and wild down her back, dark chocolate against her coffee skin. Graceful arms led to curved hands that supported a gentle face. Her ocean blue eyes were far away from the bustling city they both called home, the steaming drink and open book before her long forgotten. Her slender legs were crossed, and her whole body was tilted forward, as if prepared to jump up at the first whisper of a new adventure.

He almost regretted waking her from her reverie. "Hello?" She jumped, blinking those wide eyes several times as she tried to refocus on the real world once again. "You're Katara, right?"

She nodded once, then smiled. "You're late," she told him, her tone teasing as he took the seat across from her.

"I'm sorry about that. I got a little lost." He waved away the waitress that approached; he would not have anything distract him today.

She brought her mug to her lips, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Is that what you call tripping over toddlers?" Inwardly, Zuko groaned. Great. Somebody _had_ seen his very close call with that school group. He hoped she hadn't already decided that he was just a bumbling idiot. "Don't worry, I haven't formed a solid opinion of you," she said, as if she could read his mind. "Yet. You're being late did not help you."

"It's not like this place is big on the map, you know," he retorted. He hated criticism, especially from strangers. "Besides, maybe you were just early."

She laughed at that. "I like that this place is small," she said, her eyes dancing. "It's like a well-kept secret."

They stared at each other, one leaning forward on her elbows with sparkling eyes, the other relaxed in his chair, one arm slung over the back, his golden gaze smoldering.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, breaking the silence.

He shrugged, smiling. "Nothing, really. What about you?"

"I was thinking that you have the most unique color of eyes I have ever stared into. They almost hurt, they're so much like the sun."

He blinked. That was not the answer he had been expecting. Most girls he asked said he was hot, or scary, or was trying too hard to go for a "punk-Asian" look, or asked how he'd gotten the scar that covered the entire left side of his face. "Umm, thanks?" he replied, for once unsure of what to say.

She smiled again, leaning back. "They're like two mini suns," she continued, her look suddenly switching from joking to contemplative. "Two small, brightly burning suns," she murmured, as if to herself. "You're Zuko." Her eyes widened with shock. "Zuko Long. From Graceport High!" She gasped, throwing one hand over her mouth as if she could stop what she had already said from coming out. "No! You can't be! But you have to be! Nobody else in the world has eyes like that!"

In a blink, he recognized her. The tiny Inuit girl who had moved into the small house down the street, with sea-deep eyes that reflected fear and sadness. The gangly child with the waist-long chocolate braid, ordering the neighborhood boys around, mothering them one minute and throwing them to the dirt the next, her personality as changing and unpredictable as the ocean itself. The young teenager sitting thoughtfully under the great weeping willow tree by the lake, her beauty just beginning to show. The strong-minded woman he had verbally sparred with his entire life, from middle school up until the day he'd left for college. It was his turn to smirk. "Thanks. So you're Katara Siku, huh? You've changed." His eyes dropped to her outfit as he recalled blue turtlenecks, blue shirts, blue pioneer dresses, and the occasional purple hoodie. "Still obsessed with blue, I see."

Her grin turned malicious. "Still as self-absorbed and haughty as ever, aren't you, Prince?" Her words sliced through him like a knife, cutting away the barriers he had built between his old and new self. He had moved beyond that person, buried him deep. "I guess this was just one big mistake, huh?" Her tone had turned from scathing to bitter, her ocean eyes glistening.

The old Zuko, the one they had called the Prince back when he had been required to attend school, would have told her to shove off and then stalked away just so he could say that he was the one who left.

But times had changed. He had changed. And he wasn't running away from this one. "I can see that you're still the same old Katara," he retorted, already knowing how she would respond. "You just tear up and run away if the littlest thing goes wrong. How's Aang, by the way? Has he hit puberty yet?"

Her eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't you dare bring him into this," she hissed. He'd never seen her so passionate about anything before; he found himself enjoying it. "Besides, I've hardly spoken a word to him since I graduated, thank you _very_ much." She rose quickly, nearly toppling over the drink.

_No_! Zuko panicked, and when he panicked, he usually grabbed at something. This time, it was Katara's wrist. "Don't leave," he pleaded. "Please. Stay for just a little longer. I'm... I'm not the person I was before."

The moments she spent standing there, looking him up and down, stripping away his layers with her deep, dark eyes, were the longest of Zuko's twenty-three-year-long life. "All right, Zuko," she breathed, moving towards the chair again. "I'll stay." She sat, but his hand was still wrapped around her arm. "You can let go of me now."

He shook his head. "Not a chance. You might bolt on me. You used to be pretty fast, if I remember correctly." Judging by the blush on her face, she did, too. Flashes of a day gone by raced across his mind: the way the waves of heat had rippled in the air above the track; how he had taken off his shirt to cool down and caused a collective squeal of excitement from the girl's team; teasing Katara for wearing a t-shirt because she was 'flat as a plank'; being challenged to a race by a fierce blue-eyed woman in white spandex and a whiter sports bra with a chocolate-brown braid that fell below the enticing curve of her hips; having to work to keep up with the lean freshman; feeling sorry when he finally defeated her by inches. "So, no, I don't think I'm going to let you loose."

She glared at him. "You have some serious trust issues."

He grinned back. "I guess you could call it that." Inwardly, he admitted that he just wanted a reason to touch her, to feel that it really was the girl from his past, come back to haunt him. People like him didn't deserve second chances with people like her, and he was not about to let this chance slip out of his grasp. "So what have you been doing since you got out? You're, what, two years younger than me?" He knew how old she was compared to himself. Two years and five months, almost to the day. He'd always regretted being born so far apart from her.

"Something like that," she responded, tracing a free finger around the rim of the now-empty mug as she watched the rain collecting on the window. "I've been drawing. Painting. Modeling. Anything related to the arts. Anything to make enough to get by and still feel alive when you're done."

He nodded. Artsy things were definitely right up her alley. She'd spent nearly her entire high school career in the art room. "I just graduated from Harvard," he told her, "And I'm now here to sell my soul to the devil by working in an office cubicle."

She laughed, but it was more _at_ him than _with_ him. "I must admit, I've never imagined you in a suit and tie, walking to work through a crowd of people with your Starbucks in one hand and your briefcase and New York Times in the other. It's never seemed like you." She cocked her head, her eyes searching through his. "You must've really changed after you left."

He sighed. "I didn't really have much of a choice, you know. At least you're doing what you love."

Her sigh echoed his. "I guess." An indescribable look flashed across her face too quickly for Zuko to pin it down. "It's fun. And I like what I do."

"But there's something else?" he guessed. He was leaning over the table towards her now, like a sunflower drawn towards the light.

She sat up straighter, looking down at him. "You remember those classes we had together?" He nodded: chemistry and human anatomy. "Weren't you a little surprised that an art girl was taking those classes?"

Zuko shrugged, leaning on his elbows. "I just assumed it was because you were so smart. You passed those classes without even trying."

She gave a ghost of a smile. "It was because I've always wanted to be a doctor. I've always wanted to help people." Her eyes were locked on the tiled floor. He squeezed her hand. "We didn't have money for medical school," she whispered. "The only way I could even get into college after my brother was on an art scholarship."

Zuko felt a rush of sympathy for the woman sitting on the other side of the table. He knew what that was like, to be forced to abandon your dreams when you enter your adult life for harsh reality. A feeling of anger towards life, of wanting to somehow make the world right for her, of wanting to shelter her and hold her and tell her that it was going to be all right. Another memory flashed through his mind: the night of his senior prom. Fire and Ice, that had been the theme. She had looked stunning in midnight blue, despite the fact that she had come on the arm of Jet, the school bad boy and someone Zuko had never been able to trust. Just as he'd thought, they had gotten into a fight which ending in Katara storming out of the room and Jet shrugging and grabbing the next available girl. Zuko had managed to slip away from Mai (who had been sitting at the table with that same gloomy look on her face) and followed the crying younger girl out the front doors where it was beginning to drizzle. "You know, once you leave, there's no reentry," the man at the door had said. He'd only nodded, knowing that there was no going back. Her hands had been pressed against her face, hiding the tears coming from her ocean eyes. He had pulled her in, just holding her and allowing her to let go. Guiding her to his car, closing her door, the long silent drive to her house. Leading her to the front porch, a good-bye, and a tear-stained kiss. The hunger, the need, the longing, the urge that came over them both and spread as quickly as a wild fire. Her room, her bed, her beautiful bare body pressed against his. Her smiles, her touch, her lips all over him. Their short conversation still echoed through his mind:

"_You've know all along, haven't you?"_

"_Yes. But I was afraid I was wrong."_

"_You are never wrong."_

_A pause._

"_I love you."_

"_I love you, too."_

"_No, I mean that I love you for everything you are and aren't and will be and will never be and I don't think its possible for me to ever stop loving you this way."_

"_And you don't think I can feel the same way about you?"_

More kisses, deeper and less hungry, had led the way to a dreamless sleep and an early morning. Zuko had vanished from her room, and Katara had vanished that night from her thoughts.

"You're thinking about prom night, aren't you?"

He blinked quickly, forgetting that she was actually sitting with him. "How could you tell?"

She grinned. "You're like an open book to me." He raised an eyebrow. "You were blushing _and_ grinning," she explained. "What else could you be thinking about?"

He rubbed his thumb along the hand he still held captive. "That was the most incredible night of my life," he told her softly. "And I still mean everything that I said. All of it. You've never been far from my thoughts, Katara."

Her gaze grew soft. "So do I, Zuko. Not a day's gone by that you haven't crossed my mind."

An uncontrollable smile split across his face. "So where does that leave us?"

"Wherever we want to be."

Her grin was inviting, her eyes expectant, as Zuko reached across the table to press his lips to hers. They pulled away for a moment.

"I still love you."

"I still love you, too."

Unable to keep the smiles off their faces, they walked out of that little café into the pouring rain, their hands entwined and the world seemed, to them, a little less cruel and a bit more wondrous.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry sorry sorry! This would've been finished on time, I SWEAR! But my parents invented 'No Computer Month' and I only use OpenOffice for my writings and I couldn't install it on another computer without them knowing it. So, yeah. But its finally done! It was NEVER supposed to be this long, or end the way it did, but that's the way of my stories. They take some random twist or turn, and we end up somewhere totally unexpected.**

**Day 7 will be up soon! I hope you liked this!**


	7. Storm

_How long have I been in this storm?_

Rain pounding, thunder cracking, lightning flashing. It felt like a lifetime since we had last met on the roof of the Jasmine Dragon. A kiss, one unbelievable kiss that had left me breathless for years.

_So overwhelmed by the ocean's shapeless form_

The ocean was invisible. I was wrapped up in the sounds and the smells and the _feeling_ that all water benders share. I wondered if he could _feel_ forest fires the way I felt the rain? As if that other part of you is so full and in control and fulfilled that you could be swallowed up and become one with you element if you could only forget that part of you that was still _you-_ flesh and blood and solid.

_Water's getting harder to tread_

Waking up, getting out of bed, walking, moving: it was all so hard, now. As if I was walking through a sea on land. Nothing mattered anymore. The simple process of existing was too painful.

_With these waves crashing over my head._

The ocean lapped at my toes, tickling my feet and begging me to come play in the white-capped water. I was up to my hips before I realized I had moved at all.

_If I could just see you_

You. _You_. Your face. Your lips. Your arms. Your hands. Your fingers woven between mine.

_Everything would be alright_

Your warmth. Your strength. Your weakness. Your presence.

_If I could just see you_

Your frown. Your glare. Your all-too-rare bright-as-the-summer smile.

_This darkness would turn to light._

How I wish I could sleep through the night. But not anymore. Not anymore.

_And I will walk on water_

I thought of our journey. The search for revenge. You guiding me in the right direction. You holding the captain that was not the killer. You watching as I held the fate of a man's life in my fingertips.

_And you will catch me if I fall_

You carrying me from Appa's head to the saddle when I collapsed from exhaustion. You holding my hand as I cried silently on the beach. You as I finally gave in, forgiving you at last for shattering my heart like glass.

_And I will get lost into your eyes_

Eyes that reflect the sun. Two ever-burning suns. How many days had I woken up and only wanted two small suns in the place of the one in the sky? How many nights had I sat up, terrified, and needed their light to make it through to the dawn?

_I know everything will be alright_

Another step. And another. And another.

_I know everything is alright._

One more and I plunge into infinity...

_I know you didn't bring me out here to drown_

She had tried, before. She'd tried to drown me plenty of times. Not that I could blame her. I was such an idiot back then.

_So why am I ten feet under and upside down?_

Nothing was right. I had it all, everything I had been dreaming about since I started hunting the Avatar. The throne, a peaceful nation, and Mai. So why did it feel like there was a part of me still missing?

_Barely surviving has become my purpose_

Day in, day out. Rising with the sun, just like every other fire bender. But could I be the only one who wanted it to stay dark a little longer? Am I the only one who would rather bask in the light of the moon?

_'Cause I'm so used to living underneath the surface._

It was like this before. The first time I came back, adjusting to court life again was a daily struggle. Servants, rich clothes, a warm bed, tight restrictions. I had told myself that it was only a phase. It was just because I had been gone for so long, and soon I would be happy here again.

But this. This is something different. This pain throbs constantly. This ache pulls me away from my home, my family, my country. It calls to me from across the sea.

_If I could just see you_

You. _You._ Your exotic skin, so much darker than any I had ever seen on any other girl. Your ocean eyes, so deeply expressive. Your slender body, which seemed to fit against mine like it had been molded to belong there.

_Everything would be alright._

That kiss had been my last moment of joy. Had I known, I would have held on tighter and made it last just a little bit longer. Had I known, maybe I never would have let you go.

_If I'd see you_

Your long, plaited hair. I still prefer it that way. I would love to be the one to undo that tie someday, to unravel the tangles and my lips run along your temple.

_This darkness would turn to light._

I can't sleep. I'm afraid, so afraid of what I'll see when I close these eyes. So afraid that I'll dream of a life I could have had, of a life I wish I had been brave enough to pursue. I wait for dawn; I wait alone, endlessly alone.

_And I will walk on water_

Being with her had made me better. She made me a better teacher, a better fighter, and a better man. Around her, I was calm and collected, able to think logically instead of rushing headlong into things. Without her, I'm lost.

_And you will catch me if I fall_

She called me out for every little thing I did wrong. She made me work for your forgiveness after I stabbed everyone that mattered in the back. She made me realize that I didn't have to follow the path of a Fire Nation prince by killing and destroying. She was what I always thought about when I wandered aimlessly through the halls of the palace.

_And I will get lost into your eyes_

Blue. Such a dark, unforgettable shade of blue. Hypnotic and fathomless and unpredictable and completely open, just like the sea. If I could, I would look into them for days on end. Now I can only rely on my memory; not even the ocean can come close to their beauty.

_I know everything will be alright_

The knife on the table catches the gleam from the fire. It curves into my palm, just like her fingers had woven between mine. It was as if we had been molded to fit into the others open spaces.

_I know everything is alright_

Her face floats across my shut eyelids. Her grins, her glares, her motherly glow as she watches her small family enjoy a warm meal in a safe place. How I wished she could look upon our children that way. Without her, I will never be a father. Without her, I am only half alive.

_Everything's alright._

The pain is almost as intense as the night I jumped in front of Azula's lightning. Almost. A sort of calm happiness floods my body. Her face returns, stronger this time. Its all I can see; it is my entire world. "I love you," I whisper. She smiles, her gentle hands cupping my face.

"I know."

Her voice is a siren call to my soul. White light surrounds me, filling me up as our lips meet.

_Everything's alright._

He is standing before me, still even as the waves crash and churn above our heads. His golden eyes engulf mine and my heart races with excitement. I reach for him, and his fingers catch mine to pull me against his solid warmth. "I love you."

I place my hands on his face, still unable to believe that it's really him. "I know," I tell him.

His lips reach for mine, and my soul lifts up from my body to blend with him as we kiss. A feeling of calm, of belonging, floods my body as the dull ache in my chest become weaker and weaker. Light fills my senses, and my arms wrap around his chest. A single thought passes through our minds, a thought that we can both hear and share.

"_Everything is alright."_

* * *

**A/N: HOORAY! I'm finally finished! Man, was this one a struggle. I had an original idea, but I started to hate it so I did this instead. I wish I could change the color of the text, it would help everything make more sense. In case you didn't understand, the italicized words are lyrics from Lifehouse's song "Storm." Amazing song, you should go give it a listen! And this is told from Katara's POV, then Zuko's, then Katara's again at the very end. A whole line divider didn't seem right, so I just left if connected. Hope this didn't throw you off too much!**

**Well, that's it! Leave a review if you liked it, or even if you didn't! Thanks for reading!**


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